'Tis the season to be less anxious. While the holidays should be a time of reflection and celebration, they make up to 38% of people feel more stressed. So, we compiled a gift guide of stress-relieving presents for someone with anxiety and depression. Create a DIY holiday gift basket or wrap a few of these up individually. Either way, these are gifts your loved ones will appreciate this holiday season...and all year round!
1. Pet Care
With anxiety peaking during the pandemic, animals are almost a guarantee to reduce stress. A recent study of 6,000 people found that 90% of pet owners felt less anxious compared to non-pet owners during the pandemic. Researchers reported that 98% of pet owners were more active and experienced fewer bouts of stress and anxiety.
If your loved one already has a pet, spoiling their fur baby is always an excellent gift idea. Get their young pup or kitten a subscription service.
Friends and family with elderly and sick animals might experience some financial burdens. Help provide the caring pet owner with some stress relief by offsetting their costs with wellness products from ExpressVets.
2. Mental Health Bundle
One of the most effective gifts for someone with anxiety and depression is providing them with all-day support. Those who experience mental health problems usually experience miscommunication in the brain and/or may have low levels of hormones and neurotransmitters. Cover all of these common mental health concerns and save with Tranquility Labs' Ultimate Calm Bundle.
This three-pack of all-natural supplements provides all-day mental health support:
- Tranquilene Total Calm - Enhanced to boost GABA and serotonin product to promote calmness and joy, respectively
- CogniDHA - Formulated to optimize DHA absorption to maintain focus throughout the day
- Sleep-Fast Enhanced Melatonin Spray - Optimized for quick absorption of melatonin and calming herbs
These three supplements provide daily support. They are non-habit-forming and made with only high-quality ingredients you can feel confident gifting to someone you care about.
3. At-Home Monitoring Devices
Perhaps, nothing makes a person more anxious than the unknown. Through the evolution of health and technology, we can now monitor, track, and even optimize our health.
There are many unique at-home test kits and tools and that can support your loved ones' wellness goals, such as:
- Genealogy Test Kit - Learn if genetics are contributing to mental health behaviors
- Microbiome Test Kit - Biohack the brain through the gut
- Blood Pressure Monitor - Maintain overall health by monitoring a vital organ
- Hormone-Disrupting Chemical Test Kit - Learn which products are disrupting hormone production
- Sleep & Stress Test - Measure levels of cortisol, melatonin, and more
Take the guesswork out of wellness and provide your anxious loved one with peace of mind. Allow them to use their own data to make educated decisions about their health.
4. Journals and Coloring Books
Sometimes anxious people need an outlet to express their frustrations or creativity. Gifting a journal and coloring books are two excellent avenues for this type of self-discovery.
Journaling allows people to vent their feelings, write their goals, or confront their traumas. It's a safe space to write and then, perhaps, analyze their thoughts.
Meanwhile, coloring books are a good resource for turning off those thoughts. It allows a person to immerse themselves in a fun activity that might even remind them of a simpler time.
5. Bath Soaks
Living an anxious life can sometimes be exhausting. There's no better way to relax than drawing a nice bath at the end of the day. Help your loved one enhance their bath with the calming benefits of bath soaks.
Make a DIY holiday gift basket, including some of these skin-nourishing and mood-soothing products:
- Botanical Flowers - Mix and match an at-home spa experience with lavender, marigold, red rose, and chamomile petals
- Bath Salts - Exfoliates the skin with Dead Sea salt while uplifting the mood with lavender petals
- CBD Bath Bombs - Relaxes the mind while healing the body
No two baths need to be the same. Gift a variety of these products to help your friends and family personalize their experience.
6. Weighted Blanket
When we experience anxiety, it sometimes feels like the world is spiraling out of control. In these moments, we want to reel everything in as tightly as possible until we feel control return. Weighted blankets help create that sensory experience through pressure therapy.
These blankets can weigh anywhere from 5 pounds to 30 pounds. This excess weight helps slow down rapid heartbeats that can promote an anxiety attack.
Some of the best weighted blankets include:
For the most effective weighted blanket, try getting one that's about 10% of your loved one's body weight.
7. Light Therapy Lamp
Seasonal Affective Disorder can negatively impact up to 10 million people every year. Experts believe that a significant reason for SAD is due to less exposure to the sun.
The sun is our most significant source of vitamin D, a vitamin that is essential for serotonin production. As we mentioned earlier, serotonin influences our moods. It also plays a direct role in our sleep-wake cycle.
A light therapy lamp is an excellent way to offset the shorter winter days. Just 15 minutes per day can make up for the outdoors time lost cooped up inside for the winter.
8. Essential Oil Diffuser
An essential oil diffuser is a terrific way to naturally freshen up the air in your loved one's home. However, it's also a tool to biohack their minds.
Essential oils are rich in aromatic molecules known as terpenes. When terpenes enter the nasal cavity, they stimulate receptors that interact with our olfactory system. This system has a direct line of communication to the brain.
Many essential oils have very calming benefits, including:
Make a gift basket with a new diffuser and a bunch of essential oils. Throw in some Botanical Flowers to really bring your gift to life.
Essential Takeaways:
- Self-care is in this season. Stock up on essential oils, bath soaks, and calming teas
- Supplements are the new stocking stuffers. Gift wellness with at-home test kits and all-natural supplements
- Comfort is key. Weighted blankets, coloring books, and journaling are in for 2021 holiday trends
